Trap-nest construction



June 22,1926. 1,589,830

. s. AVILA TRAP NEST CONSTRUCTION Filed June 20, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 22 was. 7 1,589,830

S. AVILA TRAP NEST CONSTRUCTION Filed June 20, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 10 f1 v 44; Sfepizen Avila,-

June 22 1926. 1,589,830

S. AVILA TRAP NEST CONSTRUCTION Filed June 20, 1924 mull! Ill/L11] '5 Sheets-Sheet {5 IIIIII'mIIIIIIIIIIIIIA 'IIIIIIIII u 10 gmmtw Patented June 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES STEPHEN AVILA, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRAP-NEST CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed June 20, 1924. Serial No. 721,227.

The invention has for an object to improvements in trap nests, particularly to the end that a satisfactory device of novel construction and low cost may be provided whereby hens which lay eggs may be separated from those which do not. It is a specific aim of the invention to provide anest'of this type which will readily admit fowls which feel disposed to sit upon a nest, which will permit the return of fowls therefrom without laying an egg in the nest, but will prevent such return after the laying of an egg and require exit from the nest in another direction. It is a purpose to provide a novel latch and door operating means especially an'egg-operated latch device. It is also an aim to provide a novel fowl-operated door and resetting mechanism. It is an especial purpose to provide means to insure the device against movement from one stage of operation involved with the laying of an egg to another stage of operation without corresponding movement of the fowl concerned, whereby casual trapping of a fowl improperly will be avoided and correct operation of the apparatus assured.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be understood more clearly from the following description and from the drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device showing its relation to pens in which it is desired to segregate the nonlaying stock from the laying stock.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device on the line 2-2 of Figure 8, in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is a top view of the device with the cover removed.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a similar view on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a rear elevation of the device.

Figure 8 is a front elevation of the device.

There is illustrated a nest which comprises a bottomand egg tray 10 having a flange '11 therear o und upon the inner side, supporting a separate housing 12 snugly litted within r the tray.-' The tray is provided with an upstandingtransverse flange 13 on the flange llat one end and a fabric 14 is secured-to the upper edge of the flange 13, extending forwardly therefrom to the flange 11 at the forward end, the fabric being secured to the side flanges 11 also, so as to completely close the tray.

The housing comprises essentially right and left side pieces 15 and 16, a removable cover 17 and transverse connections 18 and 19 may be formed between the sides to hold them in fixed parallel relation, as found most convenient. Removal of the cover will on able access to the interior and to many of the operative elements. Both of the side elements 15 and 16 have longitudinal extensions at the lower front or entrance parts, between which there is pivoted an egg door 20, by which access to the tray may be obtained for manual removal of eggs therefrom. Pivoted at 21 between the upper outer corners of these extensions there is a nest floor element 21 which extends nearly the full length of the housing, stopping short of the rear end 19 a distance sufficient to permit an egg to pass over its end edge into the tray 10 at times, as will be understood hereinafter. The front portion of the floor 21 lying between the beforementioned extensions of the sides serves as a ledge slightly without the body of the housing, upon which a fowl may readily step for en trance to the device. A shelf 22 is fixed between the sides 15 and 16 at the rear extending inwardly slightly over the floor 21 so as to form a stop therefor at the upper limit of its movement, the housing being closed across the end beneath this shelf by the cross piece 19. At the front upper part of the housing a trap door 23 is mounted in such manner as to swing downwardly into closed position by gravity. The door is formed with brackets or arms 23 on its inner side, and its pivots are located at the extremities of these parts, so that the door is moved principally within the housing in its operation, and also to enable its ready counter-balancing. A counter-balance for the door is provided consisting of a wire 2% of malleable metal upon the extremity of which a suitable weight 25 is fixed. This counter-balance is so adjusted that the door will tend to close, but may be easily moved to open position. The door is operated by means of a lever 26 pivoted nearone end upon a cross bar 27 fixed between the sides of the housing at the top, its longer arm being connected by a cord 28 to the front of to closed position, the egg plate 42 will be permitted to lower by weight of the egg resting thereon and the. lever 44 will be lowered, but as soon as the egg clears the lower edge of the flange 43, it drops from the plate l into the tray 10 and the frame return latches 41 to initial or set po: tions. front door will have already moved to open position, butthe rear door will still be open though closing and the cal-n plate will engage the rear latch pressing it downwardly as the door moves to closed position. after which the latches again return to initial and set position by action of the frame reventing opening of the. door 3'? until the cycle is repeated.

In operation or". the device a hen entering the nest at the front will, after passing inward a distane, depress the floor 21 against the action of the spring 30 and at the same time move the lever 26 so that the door 23 is permitted to drop to closed position. However, this door is not retained against opening at this time, but will be free to open unless an egg is laid, and in the event that a hen seeks to leave without laying an egg it can only escape through the door by which entry was gained, thus returning to the same pen from which it came.

Should the hen lay an however, the latter will roll oil the end of the floor 21 onto the plate 42 depressing the same, which reverses the positions of the latches ll leaving the entry door 37 free to open and holding the door 2-3 against opening until the hen has passed into the pen in which it is desired to segregate laying hens. A hen in passing from the nest after laying an egg will press the door 37 outwardly and just before she is able to step upon the shelf 22 and relieve the floor 21 of her weight, the door pin 4-8 will engage the loop l7, raising the egg-plate 42 for the time being, so that when she leaves the floor 20 the egg will not be able to drop into the tray at once. This insures the device against casual trapping of a laying hen improperly, in case sh should re-enter the nest alter partially operating the door 37. Usually, the door 8.7 will drop abruptly as soon as the body of the hen clears the door, the fowl usually lowering her tail instinctively be cause of the doorbrushing her back. In this closing action of the door, the plate l9 is lowered by return of the lever ll, and the egg dropped from the plate onto the tray, permitting the movement of the latches all to initial or set position by reason of the weight of the frame 39, just before the door 37 is returned to fully closed position. But the cam plate 88 will ward the rear latch downwardly, raising the front latch for a moment, and as soon as the door has cleared the rear latch the latches will be returned again to initial position by the weighted fraine The front door have moved to open position on return or the latches when the r drops from the ll, and will so remain until another h n enters the nest.

ie arched opening in the doors it will be readily understood has the ellect of inducing a hen to move centrally throu the door by inserting her head through the opening. The b he plate 235 has the oil :t oi making i c-re awl .vard tor a hen to return to the no.1 'ng compartment through :7 ente from withoiit.

will

This will have the causing a hen indiilerent abo t h by gi greater laying of to t lay promptly.

lVhat I claim:

1 In a trap nest of the character descri ed, a housing having an entrance clo e there-tor, a floor movable in the housing, resilient nieans tending to hold the floor in initial raised position, yieldable to the weigl'it of a fowl, said closure having a counterbalance and tending; to close by gravity, and nieans connected to said resili ent means whcreoy to hold the closure in open position, and connected to said floor operatively for release of the closure for cl sing movement by lowering of the floor.

in a device of the character described, a i using having ai entrance, a door pivtor movement to close the entrance and tending to so move by gravity, a horizontal lever pivoted upon the upper part of the housing, a resilient elen'ient connected with one end of the lever tending to hold it in initial position, and a connection between the other end of the lever and the door whereby the door will be yieldingly held in open position, and fowl operated means to move the lever against the action of the resilient element for release of the door.

3. .ln a device 01"- the character described. a housing, vertically movable floor therein, a bell crank lever having one arm conn eted to the floor and the other to a resilient element whereby the floor will be yieldingly held in raised position, a pivoted closure for the housing tending to swing to closed position by gravity, a horizontal lever having one end connected with the bell crank to be held yieldingly in initial position, and the other end connected to said pivoted closure to hold the latter in open position and movable by operation of the floor to permit closing of the said pivoted closure.

ineans for a nest of the character descrileu, comprising a yieldingly supported net noor adapted to discharge an egg by gravity at one side, a vertically movable member adjacent the floor positioned to receive an egg therefrom, a rocltl. frame operable by said egg-receiving member, entrance and eXit closures, latches therefor operativcly connected with said "frame, said frame being weighted to he normally in position with the exit latch in engaging position and the entrance latch in retracted position and means en the floor to retain an egg upon said egg-receiving element until rising of the floor, and yielding ,neans tending to hold the floor in elevated position.

The structure set forth in claim 4 including means operatively connected with the exit closure to hold said receiving member incgg retaining relation with the floor under opening o'l the exit closure and nn'ivable by closing action 03; the exit closure to initial position, and resilient means tending to hold the last named means in iniiial position.

(3. In a trap nest, a housing having an entrance opening and an exit openingtor :toivl, a yieldingly supported inclinable nest lioor, an entrance closure tending to move to closed position, operative connections between the closure and floor by which the closure is held open by the floor While the latter is in upper position, a fowl-opened gravity-closed exit closure, a movable eggrecciving element operatively' associated with the floor to receive an egg therefrom and tending to remain in initial position yieldable to the Weight of an egg, mutually connected latch devices operable to alternatively latch the entrance and exit closures respectively in closed position and connected with the egg receiving 'eleinent to latch the exit closure initially and means to retain an in operative relation with said egg receiving element releasable by, exit 01": a laying fowl from the nest.

T. The structure set i rth in claim 6 in cluding in the last named means, a flange on the floor interposed before the receiving element, said element being inclined for dis charge of the toward the flange.

8. The structure set forth in claim 6 including in the last named means, a flange on the floor interposed before the egg receiving element, said element being inclined for discharge of an toward the flan e, and means normally inoperativeinovable to engage and move the egg receiving elementupwardly, means operable by the exit closure in the outer stage of its movement in opening to operate the last named means.

9. The structure set forth in claim 6 including in the last named means, a flange on the floor interposed before the egg receiving element, said element being inclined for discharge of the egg toward the flange, and means normally inoperative movable to enge and move the egg receiving element upwardly, means operable by the exit closure in the'outer stage or its movement in opening to operate the last named means and means operative by the exit closure to maintain inoperative relation between the respective latch and this closure during closing movement of the latter.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

STEPHEN AVTLA 

